Jordan Roush

October 2010

Jordan Roush
Environmental Science Major

How long have you been attending at Rio?
3.5 years

Over the years how many different courses in the School of Sciences have you taken? (Estimate if you can’t remember exactly)
17 courses

What one science course—not counting this semester—was the one that you have found the most fascinating/interesting so far at Rio…and why?
My Environmental Internship where I worked as a wastewater chemist the summer of 2010. This course allowed me to use the knowledge I learned from the University of Rio Grande and apply it to a job related to my field. I would encourage all students to do an internship if possible. An internship not only gives you experience, but is a good way to learn about what type of jobs aer available in your field.

In your discipline (i.e., biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, math, etc.) what individual (or two or three) would you most like to spend a day with so you could pick their brain? (you can choose someone no longer walking the planet…)
I would like to spend a day with Theodore Roosevelt. Besides being the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt was also a huge conservationist who devoed a great deal of his life to the concervation of natural resources. As a result of this, Theodore Roosevelt made it possible for future environmentalists to continue the research and conservation of our natural resoources.

What is your favorite food?
I don't really have a favorite food; I like all different kinds and types of food.

What is your favorite hobby/past-time activity?
I love to hunt, fish and camp which is one of the reasons why I choose to go into the field of environmental science. I grew up in the outdoors and I hope to apply my degree to some type of profession that involves conserving these resources.

Describe the part of taking a course you like the most. (For example: sitting in on lecture, participating in a lab, the taking an exam, writing a term paper, etc.). Why?
I would probably say that writing term papers are what I like most about a course. In my opinion, you can learn a lot from term papers by reading well written articles by other scientists and applying what you learned into a term paper. For me, term papers are usually a grade booster and I think that is why I like them the most

If you could go anywhere in the U.S. for your first job as a professional, where would it be?
Even if I had the choice, I think I would stay in my home state of West Virginia for my first job. I am proud of where I am from and would like to do something that makes an impact in the area where I grew up.

If you could give an incoming (i.e., freshman) science major one piece of advice of how to succeed (i.e., learn a bunch) during their undergraduate years at Rio, what would it be?
I would tell them to not just memorize the material, but learn to apply it. Sometimes just memorizing notes is not enough because you do not get what is actually going on. In a lot of courses, this simple piece of advice can be the difference between and A or a B. I would also tell them to relax and have fun and they will enjoy their time at the University of Rio Grane a lot more.

What is your favorite quote?

I have two favorite quotes:

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” -Albert Einstein

" I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do." -Leonardo da Vinci